So much more than soap.
Indigenous owned and operated, The Yukon Soaps Company creates beautiful, handcrafted soaps, shampoo bars, essential oil blends, and so much more.
Featuring wild rose petals, juniper berries, a Yukon-shaped press, and the beadwork of Indigenous artisans, these soaps are literally infused and imprinted with the spirit of the Yukon.
Along with handcrafting soaps, Joella has worked to make her business a community-building, language-learning, Earth-connecting hub in the heart of the Yukon—the small town of Mayo.
When she took on the company, Joella was looking for a way to connect people to culture and to land. And she has done just that—from getting Elders and local children out on the land to gather wild botanicals, to offering soap workshops and a business development program. The Yukon Soaps Company elevates Indigenous cultures and connects you to the heart of the North.
If you would like to learn how to make natural soap or other natural wellness products with Joella, you may request a workshop now! To learn more click the link below. We provide workshops for a range of ages and group sizes. The option to have Joella travel to your community is also available.
Our workshop options include:
Plant medicine bath salts, sugar scrub, room spray, bath tea, paper soap making, and of course, handcrafted natural soap.
For over ten years, YSC has been supporting economic diversification, authentic relationships with customers, and bringing life to the heart of the Yukon.
With their high-quality handmade soaps inspired by Yukon land, The Yukon Soaps Company has become a household staple and souvenir of choice for visitors—take a little bit of the Yukon home with you.
The mission of the Yukon Soaps Company is to empower, nurture and elevate Northern Indigenous cultures, community and people.
They invest in their community by hiring local, passionate people and honouring deep ancestral knowledge passed down from their Elders. Their team is encouraged to uphold the four Northern Tutchone values of caring, sharing, teaching and respect. In doing so, they hope to create a positive transformation for the community, economy and environment in Mayo.
Loving life in the heart of the Yukon.
I come from a long line of strong, vibrant, Indigenous women. My matriarchs are teachers, healers, bush women, social advocates, and cultural leaders. They’ve taught me how to take action and make things happen. Through my line of handcrafted soaps, I work to share the talent of my family and community.
When I moved to Mayo to live on my traditional territory, I envisioned reconnecting with my community, Elders, land, and language.
Happily, I’ve been able to do all of that through The Yukon Soaps Company - from using local plants in my formulations, employing community, sharing Indigenous beadwork and plant knowledge, and sprinkling in Northern Tutchone language wherever I can.
When beginning my soap making journey, it was when I came home to find local children had left baskets full of wild rose petals for my soaps that I knew I had made the right choice.
I chose to open my heart and mind and contribute my skills and experiences to do the heart work and the hard work. Promoting community wellness and supporting people along their journey through cultural programs, small business mentorships, as well as advocating for clear rivers and other important acts of resilience, The Yukon Soap Company reflects our Dan Ke values and Indigenous ways of knowing. I have created a life and a business that brings joy, is regenerative and supportive.
I am also a professional heritage worker who continues to bring Northern Tutchone culture and heritage to the forefront of life in central Yukon. As an active advocate for my First Nation and a dedicated community builder, I have worked on oral history, academics, and projects, all with the over-arching goal of empowering Northern peoples and engaging with our lands.
Local Community
HARVESTERS & HELPERS
Local community members help gather plants and assist in the workshop!
Northern Tutchone
Kwasen Reid
SOAP STUDIO ASSISTANT
Qualicum and Gitxsan First Nations
Eileen Peter
MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA
Northern Tutchone
Taiya Melancon
CARCROSS SHOP MANAGER/ARTIST
Northern Tutchone
Geri-Lee Buyck
SOAP STUDIO ASSISTANT
Northern Tutchone
Taylor Ewing
RAVENS LANDING MANAGER
Northern Tutchone
Terra Blanchard
SOAP STUDIO ASSISTANT
Northern Tutchone
Ashley Washburn
PACKAGING AND ARTIST
Natasha Young
SOAP STUDIO ASSISTANT
Northern Tutchone
Walter Peter
KNOWLEDGE KEEPER
Shares wisdom and Northern Tutchone language.
Northern Tutchone
Dorothy Profeit
KNOWLEDGE KEEPER
Shares wisdom and Northern Tutchone stories.
Northern Tutchone
Donna Hogan
TRADITIONAL HARVESTER
Gathers plants following cultural protocol.
Northern Tutchone
